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Mayor leads call for zero tolerance on racism

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis on Friday called for the latest fatal attack on a migrant in the capital to mark the end of authorities’ failure to punish racism, as it emerged that one of the two Greeks who are accused of murdering a Pakistani man in Petralona on Thursday had Golden Dawn pamphlets at his home.

“The impunity must stop and getting to the bottom of the murder of the 27-year-old citizen from Pakistan could represent a significant starting point,” said Kaminis. “The City of Athens, Greek society and democracy cannot tolerate such repulsive behavior any longer.”

The two men, a 29-year-old fireman and 25-year-old private sector employee, accused of murdering the Pakistani laborer appeared before a magistrate on Friday. They told the judge that they argued with the victim after he allegedly got in their way with his bicycle.

According to a witness, one of the suspects attacked the man with a knife from behind after a row.

Fifty Golden Dawn pre-election pamphlets were found at the 25-year-old’s home along with bats and knives. The neo-Nazi party has been linked to numerous attacks on migrants, including the murder of an Iraqi man in Athens last summer.

The victim was named by local media as Sahjat Luqman, who had been living in Greece for the past six years and had a job loading oranges onto trucks.

An anti-racism rally is due to take place in central Athens on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. in Omonia Square.